Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson welcomed 100 new police recruits to the department’s training academy Tuesday as the CPD continues its hiring push.
In September, the CPD announced a bold plan to fill existing vacancies and add 970 new positions to the force over the next two years. That hiring plan includes 500 new officers, 200 detectives, 92 field training officers, 112 sergeants, and 50 lieutenants. To fulfill that goal, the department’s training academy will begin enrolling 100 new recruits every month of next year.
Since 2011, the CPD has hired 2,446 candidates, 617 of which were hired this year.
“Being a police officer is more than a job,” Mayor Emanuel said in a statement. "It is more than a career. It is a calling. Officers come together from different backgrounds, different cultures, and different faiths for a common cause: to serve and protect the people of the City of Chicago.”
“And this whole city will be behind our officers, rooting for their success,” he added.
In November, the city started accepting applications for the next Police Entry Exam in April 2017. The city’s recruitment campaign was aimed at bolstering the force’s diversity to better represent the communities they serve. This month’s recruitment class is 60 percent non-white and nearly 30 percent female. Additionally, eight recruits have served in the military.
“These dedicated young men and women represent the next generation of Chicago police officers who will dedicate their lives to safeguarding our neighborhoods and rebuilding the vital trust between officers and the communities we serve,” Supt. Johnson said in a statement. “As they progress on their journey to taking the oath of office, CPD is committed to providing them with state of the art training and support so they can serve Chicago with professionalism and distinction.”
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During the CPD’s six month police academy program, new recruits learn applicable laws and protocols for being a Chicago police officer and receive extensive training in crisis intervention, de-escalation, use of force, community building and critical thinking. In addition, the CPD is also planning to add a “state of the art scenario based curriculum” to better prepare recruits for real world situations.